The main pool
of thought regarding tournaments is if you're lucky you win,
if you don't your not. Let's just try and give "Lady Luck" a
bit of a hand. Apart from mechanical and electrical, the only
problems you're going to have is if you hook up. Solving all
this can be quite complex or quite simply a matter of running
through a check list or trouble shooters guide, a bit like the
one in the back of your computer software manuals.

CHECK
YOUR GEAR
This is a bit like a warrior sharpening his sword before a
battle, if you check it, you trust it. If you don't you won't,
and you'll be hesitant in adding the necessary aggression
during a protracted fight. The most important single train of
thought in all fishing is doing everything you can to catch
the fish. The 5,000 different things that can happen to loose
a fish may happen anyway without you worrying about it. So
check you rollers and reel handles. Why not oil them anyway.
Check every piece of gear you are going to use in the battle.
If it doesn't pass the test either fix it or replace it.

SET
YOUR DRAGS
Set the drags at 33% of the breaking strain of the line.
However, having said that, the speed at which you pull the
scales away from the rod and the angle of the rod can change
this setting up to 150%. Try this out, set the drag by pulling
the scales as quickly as you can, then set it correctly by
setting the rod at 45 degrees, and pull the scales slowly.
Note that the faster you pull the scale the lighter the drag
setting. The amount of pressure exerted by the drag is what
sets the hook, keeps it in and tires the fish. Being set a 33%
it gives you a margin for error of 67%. This is a huge margin
for error. Nowhere else in the world is there a 67% margin for
error! In fact I don't think it exists anywhere else in the
solar system. Yet anglers are paranoid about it and even back
off their drag from this piddley little setting.

If there is
any sign of the drag being sticky or inconsistent, make sure
it's serviced before being used in action. Using an outfit
with a bad drag is like using a pistol that jams in a duel.

There is
absolutely no reason to back your drag off, not ever. In fact
as soon as the fish settles down after its
initial run you should put the drag lever up as far as it will
go. On all worthwhile game reels this will give you a setting
of around 65 to 70% the breaking strain of the line, still
giving you a massive 30% for error and that’s without counting
the cushioning of stretching nylon. Once again, prove this to
yourself. Just about all of this stuff is very easy to prove,
and once proven you should have the confidence to use it in
battle.

Get your
favourite Game outfit, or any balanced outfit, set the drag,
have a mate take the line some 20 meters away and try and
break it through the rod. Even with the drag lever up as far
as you can and your fingers locking the spool breaking even
8kg is near impossible. It's true that lines do break during
some battles, generally due to large bellies of line being
pulled through the water. The higher the drag setting the less
belly, the less the chances of busting off.

CHECK
LINE, DOUBLES AND SWIVEL KNOTS
If you don't like the look of your knots or any of the line
has nicks or abrasions, re-tie them now. It's too late to do
anything about it after you hook up. The best knot for a
double is the braid or plait, the bimini twist is ok, and the
spider hitch is purely for the opposition, never use it
your-self. The best knot for connecting hardware such as rings
and snaps is the uni-knot.

RIGS,
LEADERS, LURES AND HOOKS
These are probably the most important items to check. This is
the stuff that directly connects you to the fish. Start with
the snaps and swivels, especially the ones on the rods, check
them for smoothness and corrosion. If there are any signs of
ware and tear replace them. Spares should be stored in a bath
of oil such as Tri Flow and kept in a zip lock plastic bag.

All rigs
including shark rigs, live bait rigs and rigged lures should
be checked for corrosion on swages, thimbles and hooks. All
hook points and barbs should be checked and if necessary
sharpened or touched up with a file. All hooks should also be
checked just before each use.

Lure skirts
also need maintenance. Lure skirts de-plasticise in salt water
and exposure to sunlight and fluorescent light ending up quite
stiff and faded. This can be helped or avoided by spraying
them with plain silicone or petroleum jelly. All terminal gear
exposed to salt water should be rinsed in water and detergent
and air dried in the shade before storage. Lure bags such as
the Pakula Six Pocket have mesh and drain holes being designed
to be hung allowing the lures to be hosed off and dried.

THE
BOAT GEAR
One of the benefits of checking the gear before a tournament
is that you end up doing a semi stock take. If you can't find
the gear to check, then it's unlikely you'll find it when you
need it. As you go through the tackle remember where you stow
it away.

Boat gear is
the stuff that no one can find when it's most needed. So give
it all a quick check. Tracing gloves should be oiled if they
are leather and checked for mildew and rotting.

See if you
have enough tags. Check the pole and the applicator needle and
that the spare tags are compatible with the applicator. It's a
good idea to carry a spare pole.

Tail and gaff
ropes should be checked, make sure you have enough to handle
the best days fishing you can expect and then add a couple of
extra. While your checking all this gear make sure that the
lengths of ropes, gaffs, tag poles, leaders and doubles comply
with the rules you'll be fishing under. You shouldn't even
have gear that doesn't comply on board during the tournament.

Gimbal
buckets and harnesses should be checked. Make sure the clips
and adjustment buckle work freely, once again oil them anyway.

Tools such as
pliers, side cutters, files, knives, bolt cutters, and swaging
tools should all be serviced and once again oiled anyway.

All this gear
checking should really just be a matter of course and should
not take long. Once you've checked it you should have no
concerns about failure or not having the gear at hand. You are
just about ready to confidently take advantage of every
opportunity that arises.

THE
CREW
Game fishing crews are a group of guys who get together to
accomplish the common goal of catching fish. In other words a
Team. The better the team structure the better the team .
Every member should know his position and what they are
expected to do in the various situations that arise. Every
angler should know how the drag lever and speed shift works on
the reels you use. Every angler should know how the harness
and gimbal feel when it is fitted correctly. The angler should
know how to pump the rod and how much strain they should feel
when everything is working properly. These and other
situations should be discussed and even practised before you
get hooked up.

Who clears
the other rods. Where are these rods and gear put once you
hook up. (The hooks should never be put on the deck or the
cabin floor)

Who gets
the angler the Gimbal belt and harness and sets them up.

Who
decides how the fish will be fought.

Who traces
the fish.

Who tags
it, and who releases it.

Who takes
the photos or video. The way tournaments are set up these
days most points are scored on released fish. No matter who
wins there's always some aspersions as to the validity of
the win. Taking photos or video of each fish caught during
the tournament easily solves this. Just make sure there is
something to do with the tournament such as the tournament
shirt in the photo or video.

Possibly the
most important Tournament Team discussion should be on how the
Trophies and prises should be split when you win. This
discussion is so important that you should probably write the
proposed split down and get all team members to sign it. The
lack of this short discussion has caused many great winning
teams to break up and in a number of circumstances ended up in
court.

TOURNAMENT TACTICS
The team should now be ready for action. The knowledge of
tactics and just about everything to do with tournament
fishing certainly grows with experience, however novices blitz
the old timers often enough for any entrant to have enough
confidence to compete.

Here are a
couple of quick points to help out.

Set your
lure pattern with the largest lures closest to the transom
and the smallest towards the tail of the pattern. A good
pattern should have a variety of sizes, however don't mix
the types op lures you're using, i.e. don't mix sliced heads
with chuggers

Use
teasers making sure there's bait or lure very close behind
them.

Once you
get a shot from a fish stay in the area, especially if there
are any other signs such as bait schools or a temperature
change.

If you
find a significant temperature or colour change in the water
work both sides well. Predators are quite often in the
colder or dirtier water.

Use as
light a leader on baits and lures as possible. In tournament
300lb is as heavy as you need to go and as light as 80lb for
little blacks. Sure you have to check them after each fish
and replace as necessary.

Leaders
should be about as long as the fish you expect to catch.
Granders are only 13 feet long. At the same time don't use
leaders much under the length of the fish you expect to
catch. The lure should be free to slide away from the fish
and stay in the water as the fish jumps.

When you
hook up keep the boat down wind or down current from the
fish to stop you drifting over it.

Don't
fight the fish directly under the boat. If you get in this
position drive away from the fish. The higher the angle the
line, the better the chances of raising the fish towards the
surface.

Get the
fish in as quickly as possible. There is only a limited bite
time to take advantage of.

Push your
gear to the limit. It certainly adds a whole new dimension
to fishing hearing that line sing in the breeze and it
boosts the adrenaline.

Tournament
Game and Sports Fishing are team sports. It is great source of
pride to become part of a good team. This can only be achieved
with discussions understanding and time to understand the
members and gain experience. When you become part of a group
that acts as a team it is a great source of pleasure and
pride. Being prepared and confidant in your own and your
team's ability is what it is all about. If you get the shots
and get it right enough times you win. Winning is not
everything, but it sure beats the alternatives. In reality
after many years of fishing tournaments you no longer fish
only to win but to catch up with the mates made through the
years, being in those wonderful places they hold tournaments,
and just being away with the guys on that ever changing ocean.